PUPILS at Whitchurch Primary faced a short delay before they got to see Kate Allenby's Olympic bronze medal when she dropped in on her old school during Friday morning assembly — the pentathlete star had left her prize possession on friend's table where she had breakfasted just an hour before.

Before dashing off to retrieve the medal, she had the youngsters in the palm of her hand as she recounted the proudest moment of her life when British fans went wild as she climbed onto the podium in the Sydney Games and the turquoise ribbon was placed around her neck.

Kate, dressed in her Olympic royal blue tracksuit, told them she had been inspired by 1,500-metre runner Sebastian Coe who won gold in the 1980 Olympics when she was a pupil at Whitchurch School.

'I thought I want to do that. From then on, an Olympic medal was my dream.'

The school heard how Kate trains every day, rising at 6.30am to practise four or five sports.

A two-and-a-half hour shooting session can be followed by a four-kilometre swim in the pool and riding or running. Fencing practice oftens take place in the evening and that, too, can go on for three hours.

'Yes, it is hard. But I love it and it is what I want to do,' she said.

Six-year-old Katie Cox asked: 'After you won the bronze medal, the next day did you stay in bed all day?'

'I was awake for 26 hours as I didn't get to bed until 6am after the competition but I got up and went down to the beach and got sunburnt instead,' the pentathlete replied.

Hands shot up when she asked them to name the five discplines in the pentathlon and was suprised when they provided a full and correct answer.

'This is the first school I have been to where the pupils know all the sports.' said Kate.

After assembly, she popped into each class to show the children her medal.

Headteacher Ricci Achillini said the athlete's visit had been a complete surprise.

'Out of the blue I got a telephone call from Kate saying "Hi". She said she was in the area and could she call in and see us,' he said.

'I was sitting down at the computer doing some financial work and feeling quite depressed.

'I almost choked. It was wonderful she thought of us just weeks after her Olympic success. Her face after she crossed the line will remain in my memory for the rest of my life.

'We always want the children to do well but very rarely is it at world level.'

Teacher Mary Block, who retires next year after 30 years, was there to congratulate her former pupil on her Olympic triumph.